Stepladder



H. A. UDELLr STEPLADDER. APPLICATION FILED NOV .15, 1919- 1,342,881 Patented June 8, 1920.

UNITED STATES HENRY A. UDELL, 0F RACINE, WISCONSIN.

STEPLADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1920.

Application filed November 15, 1919. Serial No. 338,194.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. UDELL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Racine, in the county of Racine and State of WVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stepladders, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements ladders of that type having a supporting member whereby the step ladder may be placed in the middle of a floor without the necessity of resting the upper end of the ladder upon a support and has for one of its objects to provide firm means for bracing and retaining the step ladder and the supporting member in proper relation when the ladder is in useand at'the same time permit the ready collapsing or folding together of the step ladder and supporting member when it is desired to store the ladder.

The step ladders now in general use employ two bars of pivoted to ether rods connecting the adjacent sides 0 the ladder and supporting member which has proven unsatisfactory in that when it is desired to fold the ladder it is necessary that both hands be employed to break the pivot between the members so that they will hinge upwardly and permit the folding of the ladder.

With the above and other inherent objections in mind another object of my invention is to provide a brace for connecting a step ladder and its supporting member which will necessitate but one hand in operating the same to permit the folding of the ladder.

A further object of my invention is to provide a brace for step ladders of the class described which may also be used to support a pail or other object when desired.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated two complete examples of the in step physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best modes I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side plan view of a portion of a step ladder having my invention secured thereto and depicted as in extended or operative position.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of my invention detached from the step ladder, the ends of the securing rods being broken away.

Fig. 8 is a side plan view of a portion of a step ladder showing a slightly modified form of brace member as secured thereto, the ends of one of the securing rods thereof being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of that form of my invention depicted in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the plate illustrating the manner of pivotally connecting one of the brace rods thereto.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing the numeral 10 designates the front supporting leg member or step ladder proper of a step ladder, and 11 the rear supporting leg member therefor, which members have their upper ends, (not shown) in pivotal connection. The present invention consists of apair of rods 12 having their outer ends flattened as at 13 and pivotally secured to the sides of one of the supporting members of the ladder as at 14 and their inner ends secured rigidly to a plate member 15 in the manner to be later described. The other supporting member of the ladder is connected with the plate 15 by means of a substantially V-shaped rod 16 having its ends 17 flattened and pivotally connected to the sides thereof as at 18 and its inner end or apex 19 pivotally secured to the under side of the plate 15 by means of a projection or lug 20 fixed to said plate.

The projection or lug 20 is secured to the plate adjacent its edge remote from the supporting member of the ladder to which the ends 17 of the V-shaped rod 16 are pivotally secured whereby when the supporting members of the ladder are in the position deicted in Fig. l the rods 12 and 16 will form a substantially rigid connection between the members as will be obvious. The

porting member to which the outer ends of the rods 12 are connected are struck downwardly and then laterally and have apertures therein through which the rods 12 extend, the rods 12 having their inner ends projected upwardly through apertures 22 as in the plate adjacent its end remote from the supporting member to which the outer ends of the'rods 12 are secured and then have their ends bent over to lie against the upper face of the plate 15 as at 23. This construction makes the plate 15 substantially' rigid with the rods 12.

In that form of my invention depicted in 2 Figs. 3, 4: and 5 I employ in place of the V- shaped rod 16 a straight link or rod 24 having its outer end pivotally secured between a substantially U-shaped clip 25 secured to one of the ladder supporting members andits inner end pivotally secured as at 26 between a pair of downwardly extending projections 27 struck from the plate 15. The projections 27 are positioned on the plate adjacent its edge remote from the outer end of said rod 24.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing it will be at once apparent that I provide a brace for the supporting members of a step ladder which may be readily operated by one hand, to break the joint or connection .therebetween so that the ladder may be readily folded to be placed away out of use.

What I claim for my-invention is:

1. A brace for preventing the spreading apart of the front and rear supporting members'of a step ladder comprising a plate, a rod having one end connected with the plate and its other end pivoted to one of the supporting members, and a second rod having one end pivotally connected with the other supporting member and its other end pivotally connectedwith said plate, the pivotal connection between said other rod and plate being on the underside of the plate and adjacent its edge remote from the supporting member to which the other end of said other rod is secured.

2. A. brace for preventing the spreading apart of the supporting leg members of a collapsible step ladder comprising a plate, and rigid therewith, a substantially V- shaped rod having its ends pivotally secured to the sides of the other leg member, and means secured to the underside of the plate adjacent its edge remote from said other leg member for pivotally connecting the apex of the V-shaped rod thereto.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. c

' HENRY A. UDELL. 

